The draft resolution noted that the Ukrainian government in Kiev
has not authorized the referendum and said that it cannot be
valid.

“This referendum can have no validity, and cannot form the
basis for any alteration of the status of Crimea; and calls upon
all States, international organizations and specialized agencies
not to recognize any alteration of the status of Crimea on the
basis of this referendum and to refrain from any action or
dealing that might be interpreted as recognizing any such altered
status,” the documents reads.

Moscow has a veto right as one of five permanent members of the
Security Council.

It was “no secret that Russia would vote against the US draft
resolution,” Russia’s envoy at the UN Vitaly Churkin said
ahead of the voting. He added that Moscow would respect the
choice of Crimeans.

“We cannot accept its basic assumption: to declare illegal
the planned March 16 referendum where there residents of the
Republic of Crimea should decide on their future,” Churkin
said, explaining Moscow’s decision to veto the proposed document.

“The philosophy of the authors of the draft runs counter to
one of the basic principles of the international law – the
principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples
enshrined in the Article 1 of the UN Charter,” the Russian
diplomat said.

This principle was also confirmed by the 1970 UN Declaration on
the Principles of International Law, and a number of other
decisions by the UN General Assembly, and the Helsinki Final Act
of 1975, Churkin said.

Russia does not dispute the principle of territorial integrity,
which is “of, course, very important,” the envoy said.

“In is also understandable that enjoyment of the right of
self-determination through a separation from an existing state is
an extraordinary measure, applied when future coexistence within
a single state becomes impossible,” Churkin said.

In the majority of cases it was implemented without the agreement
of the state authorities.

Crimea’s coexisting within Ukraine apparently became impossible
as a result of “legal vacuum” that followed the
“unconstitutional armed coup” carried out in Kiev by
radical nationalists in February and direct threats by these
individuals to set their order across Ukraine, Russia’s UN
representative said.

On Sunday, the Crimeans are going to decide if they want the
republic to remain a part of Ukraine or join the Russian
Federation.

European nations and the US said earlier they would not recognize
the outcome of the referendum and warned Russia of sanctions over
its stance on Ukraine.

Speaking after the vote by the 15-member Security Council,
Samantha Power, the American ambassador to the UN said it was
“a sad and remarkable moment”.

France’s envoy, Gerard Araud, said he was incredulous at what he
called Russia's annexation of Crimea, under the pretext of
protecting Russians in the region. “This annexation ... goes
beyond Ukraine, it concerns us all,” he said, as cited by
Reuters. “This veto must be seen as a defeat only for
Russia.”

Britain’s UN Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said that the “the
resounding message” from the vote is that “Russia stands
isolated in this council and in the international
community”.

Beijing, traditionally very sensitive when it comes to
territorial integrity particularly because of Tibet, reiterated
its support for “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of
all states.” China's ambassador to the UN, Liu Jieyi called
for a political solution and an “international coordinating
mechanism” to resolve the dispute, cited AP.

Resolution ‘ungrounded’, aimed to serve US geopolitical interests

The UN resolution is focused on alleged illegitimacy of the
upcoming referendum in Crimea, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in
a statement issued after the vote. Creating an atmosphere of
distrust and falsehood appears to be the main goal of the
authors, the ministry added.

According to Russian diplomats, the US proposal regarding a UN
resolution on the situation in Ukraine was ungrounded. It can
only be explained by Americans’ “overwhelming desire” to
politicize already complicated situation and continue aggravating
international hysteria around the former Soviet republic for the
benefit of the US geopolitical interests.

“The very initiative had no grounds from the beginning since
events in Ukraine do not pose any threat to international peace
and security – that the Security Council deals with in accordance
with the UN Charter,” the statement posted on the ministry’s
website reads.

Washington does not care about Ukrainian stability, prosperity
and safety, Moscow said.

“They are still using ‘Cold War’ categories – which should
seem to be forgotten long ago – in order to impose their view of
Ukrainian political structure,” said the Foreign Ministry's
department of information and press.

Russia hopes though that the UN member-states, who have so far
been biased in their approach to the situation in Ukraine, will
take a path of constructive cooperation on the settlement of the
crisis and providing rights of all the citizens, including in
eastern and south-eastern regions of the country, the ministry
said.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin press-secretary believes speculations
regarding Russia’s “self-isolation” in connection with the events
in Ukraine are absurd.

“It would be illogical, unrealistic and absurd today – in the
era of globalization and total economic interdependence,”
Dmitry Peskov said Saturday in an interview with Russian REN-TV
channel.

Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson believes that current
contradictions between Moscow and western partners are not about
a new ‘Cold War.’

“We sincerely believe that both we and our partners will have
enough political wisdom and political realism to avoid further
deepening of ideological or any other standoff over
Ukraine,” Peskov said. Despite remaining differences, Russia
really does appreciate its continuing contacts with
representatives of other states.